by Kal Almo, ASLA, AIA, SITES AP, Jack R. Garcia, Affiliate ASLA, Jenny Zhang, ASLA, AICP, and Lauren Patterson, ASLA, PLA
What is Technology in Urban Design and How is Technology Used to Make, and Facilitate, Urban Design Plans
Technology in urban design refers broadly to the digital tools and systems practitioners use to enhance the planning, design, and management of cities and urban areas. Today, technology is constantly evolving and is a central part of our practice. The tools and systems that are used in urban design work vary depending on the scale and scope of the overall environment and the actual setting. Typically, these projects include large multi-disciplinary teams that communicate in a variety of ways to visualize the future. The existing and the new technology has enhanced collaboration among architects, engineers, planners, and landscape architects, while also creating challenges due to the growing number of systems and tools used in project development. This article discusses the history of technology in urban design and gives a brief overview of the tools, programs, and data that is used to design urban environments.
History
Urban design has consistently reflected the technologies available to those shaping the built environment. From as far back as 2000 BCE until the early 21st century, the evolution of urban form has been closely tied to innovations in tools, materials, and systems.
In ancient cities such as El Lahun (Egypt), Mohenjo-Daro (Pakistan), Hamadan (Iran), Erlitou (China), and Piraeus (Greece), urban planning expressed significant development. These cities demonstrated an ability to successfully organize urban layouts, sewage systems, and monumental public spaces; in the process, they became regional centers. The tools of the time—manual surveying instruments, compasses, and measuring rods—enabled planners to align streets and structures with remarkable precision. These cities incorporated zoning and predetermined (often orthogonal or radial) street layouts, literally laying the foundations for centuries of urban design analysis and urban planning theory.